Brits have final chance to legally cancel TV Licence and get a £159 refund before price hikes

This is your last chance to legally cancel your TV Licence before the big price hike - you have been warned!

Sorry, I know this isn't what you want to hear on your Easter weekend but the fact is that the current £159 a year price will be going up from 1 April.

What the TV Licence covers

If you watch or record programmes on TV services, such as Sky, Virgin Media and Freeview, a TV Licence is required.

This also goes for streaming services such as, BBC iPlayer ITVX, Now, and Sky Go.

This applies to any device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

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A TV Licensing spokesperson told LADbible: "A TV Licence provides cover for anyone watching or recording a TV programme on any channel; watching live content on streaming services; and using BBC iPlayer.

"Information is available on the TV Licensing website and via the customer services team, who can help with any queries.

"TV Licensing’s primary aim is to help people stay licensed and avoid prosecution - which is always a last resort. We are doing all we can to help people and offer a range of concessions and payment schemes which support people who fall into financial difficulty.

"If it is necessary to consider prosecution we apply evidential and public interest tests."

You do not need a TV Licence to watch:

• streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus
• on-demand TV through services like All 4 and Amazon Prime Video
• videos on websites like YouTube
• videos or DVDs

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What happens if you don't pay?

If you don't, you could find yourself in court, paying a hefty fine that costs more than the licence fee itself.

The maximum fine is £1,000, plus court costs.

How much is it going up by?

From April onwards, the annual cost of a standard TV Licence will cost you £169.50, a £10.50 increase from the current price.

How to get a refund for your TV Licence

You could be eligible for a refund if:

• You move to an address which already has a TV Licence.
• You move abroad.
• You transfer your existing TV Licence to someone else.
• You move into a care home.
• You no longer watch ANY live TV on ANY channel, TV service or streaming service (including live content on streaming sites such as YouTube).

You can apply for a refund if:

• You won’t need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it AND
• Your licence expired less than two years ago*.
• *If you’re eligible for an over 75 or blind concession, you can apply at any time and for any length of time left on your licence.

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The TV Licence website adds: “You can apply for a refund up to 14 days before the date you no longer need the TV Licence. If your licence has already expired, you can apply if less than two years have passed since the expiry date.”

How to cancel your TV Licence

You can cancel your TV Licence online. The process is usually sorted with 21 days and, if approved, your refund will land directly into your bank account, or you can receive a cheque, if you’d prefer.

You can find out more here.